Outrage as mob ransack British embassy in Iran

IRAN faced “serious consequences” after the British embassy was ransacked by a violent mob, William Hague warned last night.

The mob of demonstrators surging through the gates of the British embassy in Tehran yesterday []

Smoke billowed from the compound in Tehran as hundreds of protesters surged inside. The rabble tore down the Union flag, hurled petrol bombs and rocks and threw documents out of windows.

They demanded the closure of the embassy, calling it a “spy den”. Some chanted: “The embassy of Britain should be taken over” and “Death to England”. One protester was seen attempting to tear apart a picture of the Queen, pulled from a wall.

The scenes were reminiscent of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, when 52 hostages were held for 444 days.

Unconfirmed reports suggested up to six embassy staff were taken hostage yesterday, with Iranian police later saying they had secured their release.

Foreign Secretary Mr Hague said all embassy staff had last night been accounted for. He played down suggestions of the hostage situation, saying there had been “confusing” reports coming out of the country.

The embassy of Britain should be taken over Death to England

Most embassy staff fled through the back door as several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the building, some burning British, American and Israeli flags.

In another part of the capital about 300 protesters entered the British ambassador’s residence and tore down the British flag, replacing it with an Iranian one.

The attacks came two days after Iran reduced diplomatic relations with the UK following London’s support of further sanctions on Tehran.

David Cameron chaired a meeting of the Government’s Cobra security committee yesterday afternoon and the Iranian charge d’affaires was summoned to the Foreign Office.

Mr Hague said Iran had “committed a grave breach” of the Vienna Convention, which demands protection of diplomats and diplomatic premises under all circumstances.

He added: “We hold the Iranian government responsible for its failure to take adequate measures to protect our embassy as it is required to do.

“I spoke to the Iranian foreign minister this afternoon to protest in the strongest terms about these events and to demand immediate steps to ensure the safety of our staff in both embassy compounds.

“While he said he was sorry for what had happened and that action would be taken in response, this remains a very serious failure by the Iranian government.

“The safety of our staff is our utmost priority.”

Britons have been warned against “all but essential travel” to Iran and those already in the country were warned to shut themselves indoors. The British ambassador, Dominick Chilcott, was this week given two weeks to leave Iran after an overwhelming vote by the country’s parliament.

Britain described the move as “regrettable” and “unwarranted”.

Labour leader Ed Miliband described yesterday’s attack on the embassy as “appalling”.

Last week the UK announced it had severed all financial ties with Iranian banks in response to mounting fears over the country’s nuclear ambitions. Diplomatic tensions were significantly raised earlier this month after the UN’s nuclear watchdog warned of Iran’s “creep” towards an atomic weapon.

The International Atomic Energy Agency concluded alleged undercover nuclear activities in Iran could only relate to weapons production.

Tehran denies that its programme is designed to produce anything but civil nuclear fuel.

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